Tony Watt lights up Parkhead as Celtic slay Barcelona 2-1 in Champions League

The 125 candles on Celtic’s birthday cake were matched in intensity by a
result that flashed around Europe as the Hoops administered Barcelona’s
first defeat of the season, courtesy of a Victor Wanyama header and a
dazzling late strike on the break by the 18-year-old Tony Watt, despite a
frantic late rally that saw Lionel Messi score his inevitable goal.

The outcome testifies to an astonishing transformation of the Celtic’s fortunes under Neil Lennon, who in the space of six months has delivered Celtic’s first Scottish title in four years and bestowed – upon a support that could scarcely believe what it had just witnessed – a result that will take its place amongst the chronicle of legend in the east end of Glasgow.

Celtic have now played eight qualifying and group stage games in the Champions League and have won six, kept clean sheets in four, achieved victories on the road in Helsinki, Helsingborg and Moscow and – in this compelling spectacle – prevailed over a club that some believe to be the best the world has seen. If Lennon’s side should win their next outing, against Benfica in Lisbon in two weeks, they will be guaranteed a place in the knockout stage of the tournament.

This, though, was significantly more than a heroic achievement against the odds – although those were heavy enough. It was the product of a mighty communal effort, a symbiosis of the fans and their latest generation of hooped idols, even if fate had dealt Lennon a mixed hand over the course of the day.

On the one hand he was relieved by the news that Georgios Samaras had overcome the ankle injury which caused him to be replaced during the first half in Barcelona. However, that positive development was countered by the absence of Scott Brown – understood to have succumbed to a virus – which added the Celtic captain to a casualty list that deprived the manager of Emilio Izaguirre, James Forrest and Gary Hooper and left him thin on the bench.

His spares included four teenagers, while the alternatives available to Tito Vilanova were immense by contrast – Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, to name but three.

But when Celtic’s sinews required to be stiffened and spirits to be summoned there could have been no more inspiring backdrop than the teams encountered when they took the field to a stunning array of colours which spelt out a tribute to the club’s 125th anniversary, superlative even by the standard of such choreographed displays.

It would be preposterous to suggest that a player of the stature of Messi would have his composure troubled by such a demonstration of fervour, but the Argentine was seen not to be wholly superhuman, first when he gave away possession casually and then when he banged a shot over in unrefined fashion.

Messi was to display a moment of characteristically wondrous skill before the half was out – when he accepted a prompt from Andrés Iniesta and juggled the ball from right foot to left and off the crossbar, so swiftly that it required scrutiny of the slow motion TV replays to discern that goalkeeper Fraser Forster had actually got the tips of his glove to the shot, a detail which also eluded the match officials.

By that time the most explosive development had seen Celtic seize the initiative. Charlie Mulgrew’s delivery was pitched perfectly beyond the back post into the unguarded spot filled by Wanyama as he timed his run perfectly to beat Alex Song to the ball and head past Victor Valdes.

Barca were stung, and there were palpitating moments for 60,000 home fans when Alexis Sanchez headed a Danny Alves cross off the post before Alba’s cutback was bound for Messi’s boot until Forster saved.

Barca were relentless but not wholly convincing, a tribute to Celtic’s concentration, exemplified by Wanyama’s regular and crucial interventions, as well as the inspirational response of Forster, who produced a one-handed block from Messi.

However, the pressure brought Celtic to their knees – sometimes literally – until Watt collected a kick from hand by Forster and left Javier Mascherano blowing bubbles in his wake before he trimmed a low drive precisely behind Valdes.

Messi, maddened, kept the issue in doubt when he finally beat Forster with an injury-time strike. But it proved – and what a tribute this was to a patched together Celtic side – to be that extreme rarity, a consolation goal for Barcelona.